​God’s House is to be a House of Prayer

These I will bring to my Holy Mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. – Isaiah 56:6-7

You may remember when Jesus cleared the temple of money changers that he declared, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13). He was quoting this passage.

God’s house is to be a house of prayer, but I am afraid some have lost that focus. Oh yes, prayers are recited in every place that is called a house of God, but many of those prayers are just a ritual recited for the purpose of fulfilling the duty of religion.

One of the best examples of prayer which should be in the house of God is the prayer of Hannah when she was petitioning God for a son. Read the account of her prayer:

In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life.”

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli [the priest] observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk” (1 Samuel 1).

When we are as committed to prayer as Hannah we will see the results Hannah saw. It was her intercession in the house of God which prompted God to give her a son, Samuel. Her son became a great prophet, judge and priest of Israel.

God is calling men and women today to devote themselves to prayer and to come into his house making supplication, offering up petitions and making intercessory prayers for others. It is time once again for God’s house to be known as a house of prayer where men, women and children can connect with the great God who answers prayers joyfully.

Prayer: Lord, grant me the grace to hear you calling me to pray and the commitment to answer that call. In Jesus name. Amen

Message: God is calling men and women today to devote themselves to prayer and to come into his house making supplication, offering up petitions and making intercessory prayers for others. It is time once again for God’s house to be known as a house of prayer.

Affirmation: I am committed to making prayer a focal point in my public worship and in my private devotions.

Reflection: As you reflect on your worship ask yourself if prayer, communication with God, is your primary focus when you attend worship services. How can you make prayer a focal point in your worship and in your life?

Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. – Genesis 4:25-26

It appears that the family of Adam and Eve were about 300 years outside the Garden of Eden when “men began to call on the name of the Lord.” What happened during that time? We don’t really know. All we are given in Scripture is that one lived so many years and had a son and the son lived so many years and had a son, etc., etc. all the way to the time of Noah.

During that time man was learning about how to raise food to eat, how to fashion clothes to cover themselves and how to function in relationship with others. Their life must have been pretty primitive because they were just cast into life without any experience of history to fall back upon.

It was during this time that mankind was just trying to find their way in life that they began to realize their need for God and at that time they began to call on the name of the Lord.

How did they know to call upon the name of the Lord? Adam and Eve must have told them stories around the evening fires of the times when they would walk with God in the cool of the day. Or it could be that while they were working in the fields one would turn to the other talking about how hard life was and in their conversation they began to remember the stories that Adam and Eve told.

However it happened there came a time when man began to realize his need for a power outside of himself to survive in the world. It has been a long time since then, we’re not even sure how long it’s been, but our need for God is just as real today as it was then among our fathers in their primitive world.​If we are to flourish in our time we must learn to call upon the name of the Lord. When we call he will answer.

Prayer: Lord, I need you just as much today as men did in the time of Enosh. Give me grace to endure in my faith. Amen.

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The psalmist gives us a prayer for consistency and steadfastness in our faith walk:

Psalm 119:5-8Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!Then I would not be put to shame When I consider all your commands.I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Consistency is my greatest challenge. I have a practice I call "First Fruits." Some time ago I was convicted that God told Israel to bring the first fruits of their harvest to him as a sacrifice. Those first fruits were used to feed the Levites, the widows and orphans.

I felt God was directing me to offer to him the first fruits of my life every day. So I began the practice of going straight to the coffee pot when I get up. I prepare my coffee then go to my "closet of prayer," which is actually my recliner. There I read some Scripture and pray.

My problem is that I am not consistent with offering my first fruits. This passage is one I pray as I work for consistency and steadfastness in my commitment to offer my first fruits to God every day.​

We need to Take A Knee for our nation. We are at a crisis point. Many are in a dilemma about the upcoming election. There is so much rhetoric about demonizing the other side of whatever side you are on.I am nearly 70 years old and I have never seen so much hatred being displayed. Political parties speaking hatred toward the other party; the racial divide seems more severe; law enforcement is under attack and then there is the threat of terrorism, both home grown and imported.I am calling you all to Take A Knee in Prayer for our country.

Invite a friend to pray with you and register as a participant in the Take A Knee in Prayer Challenge.To register just fill in the form in the column on the right and click the "I'm Joining" button

A Call To Prayer

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Many have lamented that the upcoming election is pivotal to the future of America and the future of the church in America. We who are called by His name must humble ourselves and pray, seeking His face and seeking forgiveness for our own worldly ways. When we cry out to God for forgiveness for our waywardness and seek Him for a spirit of repentance, then he will hear and He will respond.

Jeremiah 29:11 gives us God's plan for us: "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

But His word does not stop with just telling us what He wants for us. He goes on to tell us how to release His promised blessing: "Then you will call upon me and came and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all you heart. "I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity" (verses 12-13).

Are you ready to seek Him with your whole heart?
​This is the day and this is time to turn wholly to Him.

Join the Take A Knee In Prayer Challenge

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There is an early morning prayer meeting held in an attorney's office in a nearby town. This prayer meeting starts at 5:30 AM and goes for about an hour. A while back I was in attendance and recorded about 6 minutes of this prayer meeting. Listen to the this recording:
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